The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter
by animelover21065
Summary: Based on a poem I've read in class during school. This is a Chinese poem and the first person i thought about was Tenten while i was daydreaming. I had this inspiration along time ago but you know test, etc. so here i am! i hope enjoy! R&R flames are okay


HI it's me! animelover21065 and i wanted to do a tenten/neji oneshot! all my other ideas are down the drain and i got this idea when i was studing Ezra Pound's translated poem _The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter _by Li T'ai Po. As you can tell, it's a Chinese poem and the first person i thought of was Tenten. I hope you enjoy i love this poem very much and during my daydreaming section i was thinking "Hey this will make a great ff story!" and everytime i got the chance to do it something AWAYS have to happen! so now it's the summer and i will sorta explain what is goin on to the best to my ability. so R&R and in this fic i'm gonna put Ezra's version and my version but mine is gonna be in story format. . . . i guess. . . .if you wanna read a funny one shot then go to my stories and read my first one(there's only two so it shouldn't be hard to find) and R&R for that one too i got some good reviews for that

the characters are gonna be a little ooc well i know neji is and tenten is too sorta. . . . .

**DISCLAIMAR: **why? why! WHY!? T.T you make my heart sad!!! i could own naruto if i was born earlier and i had some inspiration. . . . well i say i'm sorta happy i don't own it that mean i have to make soo many episodes and i can't stick to one subject too long XP but it would be nice if i could provide the ideas and he can use it! P

* * *

_While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead  
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.  
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse;  
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.  
And we went on living in the village of Chokan:  
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion._

"Hey look mother! Isn't these flowers lovely?" a little girl with a bunch of flowers in her hands asked. She was carefree and enjoy the simple things in life. She had two panda-like buns bangs were cut when it was getting too long and had the warmest eyes. Her hair wasstill cut straight across because she was too young to be wed. Her mother just nod a yes and the little girl continue to pick more flowers to show her friends.

"Tenten watch your step and keep track of the time" Tenten smiled at her mother and ran to the gate to see her friends and to pick more flowers.

Neji was enjoying himself pretending that he was a samurai. He looks as if he was rough and spoiled but Neji was different. He had dark brown hair and very mysterious white eyes. All his friends left because they had to go home. Neji was one of the only kids outside playing, until he saw Tenten. So he decided to play with her.

She saw him but did not refused because she thought he was fun to play with. So without any hesitations she said "Hi I'm Tenten! Nice to see you! It's feels so good to go out and play, ne?"

Neji smiled _'She seems nice'_ "Yes it is. A great weather to play in. You don't mind if I play here do you?" Tenten shook her head meaning that she didn't mind.

"So watcha playing it looks fun!" She stood up and hoping to get to know her new friend a little more. But she was captivated by his eyes.

"I'm pretending to be a samurai! Everyone in my family excel in fighting and I want to join them when I am strong enough." he stood up also. "Is this your house?"

"Uh-huh, can I play samurai with you? Please? I promise that if I suck then I'll play better!" Tenten wanted to play games like the boys did, so she tried to give him the biggest puppy-eye she could.

"I don't think a girl should play. You might hurt yourself" Neji smirked and folded his arms. Tenten was so mad. _'I can do anything if I wanted to!"_ she thought.

"Oh yea! Well beat this!" and before Neji knew it, he was on the ground. Tenten was laughing so hard because she got to prove that girls can do whatever they wanted to, and that he had the most shocked look on his face. "I can't get hurt you know why?" Now Tenten was taunting him. So didn't give him time to reply, "Because boys can't hit girls! But I can hit you!" _'How can a girl push me like that! No one ever did that to me!'_ was the only thing in Neji's mind. Well and revenge. So he got up and grab her by the arms.

"Hahahahah. . . . . .HEY WAIT! What are you doing! You can't hurt me! I'm a girl!" Tenten suck her tongue at him and smiling as if she won the biggest panda bear in the world. Neji didn't grab her too hard because she will get hurt but he did something else instead.

"AHHHHH!!!! STOP THAT…TICKLES!!!!" Tenten was trying to get out from her new friends grip. Neji wasn't going to stop tickling Tenten until he felt that he had enough revenge.

"Hey Tenten…"

"Yes Neji?"

"I just want to say that it was fun playing with you. But it's getting late so I have

To get going." Neji said bidding farewell to his new friend.

"Okay Neji! I'll see you later!!! BYE!" Tenten said bye to her friend and started to gather up all the flowers that she left.

* * *

_At fourteen I married My Lord you.  
I never laughed, being bashful.  
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.  
Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back._

_  
_"TENTEN please calm down! It's normal for a girl your age to get married." her parents tried to reassure her, but it didn't help one bit.

"No, No! and I repeat NO! I'm not going to be married to a guy that I haven't talked to since I was 5!" Tenten saw Neji a lot but they were only friends not even best friends just friends. Sure they use to play a lot together but that didn't mean that she had to marry the guy. Tenten was so mad, sure she know that she had to be married by a certain age and that on her fourteenth birthday she was to find out who it was and six months after that they was to be wed.

"Tenten, honey, it's hard for all of us and we promise that you are going to like it." her parents tried again.

"No it's not! It's not hard for you! I bet your happy that I'm leaving! How could you do this to me!? Your only daughter…" sure she was making a big deal out of this and that she didn't mind Neji who seem to be taking it quite well, but she wasn't ready for any big commitments yet.

"Tenten, tradition is tradition. They do this for a reason. Now please calm down." her parents were saying this in a soft but firm voice, and Tenten knew that she had to obey that voice; if not then she would be in trouble. "Now Tenten, Neji's parents and we have prepared your house so you must hurry and pack up.

"Fine" Tenten said sadly. She should be one of the happiest people on earth! Being married to Neji is one of many impossibly never going to happen dreams. She know that she should be lucky that she gets to marry Neji, but she just haven't felt a spark between each other yet. And she would have him more then probably any other guy that she know but still…being married is a very big commitment that she is not ready to face.

The marriage ceremony was very lovely and very traditional. But Tenten was not very happy. Neji didn't seem indifferent he knew that he was going to be married to her a long time ago but he did not want to say anything. He didn't like anyone really. He could care less, he knew it was his job to get married and start his life with his wife. Neji stood at the altar happy it was not any of his many admirers, but a normal girl that did not have any feelings for him.

"WE WISH YOU A HAPPY MARRIAGE NEJI AND TENTEN!!!" The girl snorted in disuse. Yea right a happy marriage my butt! She thought while ignoring everyone that was congratulating them on a successful marriage. She ignored all of them what seem to be a thousand calls had suddenly gone away.

* * *

_At fifteen I stopped scowling,  
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours  
Forever and forever and forever.  
Why should I climb the lookout?_

Neji wasn't exactly happy their first year of marriage, she barely speak with him the only time they where together was to eat and sleep and all the time between they were doing something else. Tenten was not a good cook but after some time and reading she was better and prepare better food for them both. She avoid almost everything to get away from the world and Neji. All she did was cook and clean for one year; and Neji was always training. The only time they kissed was during the marriage ceremony and that was it. It's not that Tenten didn't _like _him more like she didn't _know _him.

Usually after Tenten finish cooking and cleaning she is in their room all alone hating her parents to put her up to this. Neji was very concern about this but decide to let her deal with it on her own. It was not his fight do deal with and she will be over it in awhile.

One year after they got married she was fifteen and sick. Neji has been taking care of her lately, she was not deadly sick but just sick enough not to do anything. She was thinking why was she hating and always getting away from Neji to begin with, it was not even his fault, it's her parents. But Neji, Neji has been so kind to her. He did not force her to do anything she didn't want to do, but she wasn't going to do it anyways. And here he is caring after her after the way she treated him. . . .or didn't treat him.

Once she got to think about it more, why be mad at him? I mean sure Neji can be a jerk sometimes and he is only nice when I'm at this state….but still I mean I think I might like him. . . .

Maybe I should give this silence marriage a chance. She looked back at those still mysterious eye of his. Neji knew she was changing by the way her eyes were changing from anger for many months to calm and sorrow. "What's wrong Tenten?" She shift her eyes away from him. "Tenten you know I hate to repeat myself…so what's wrong? Does your head still hurt?" Neji was checking to make sure she is okay.

"I'm okay Neji…." she said to him. "Ummm…Neji…" she said slowly.

"Hmmm?"

"Neji I want to say I'm sorry by the way I acted. You don't deserve that from me. I mean it's not your fault I was married to you….you've been great to me Neji! I can't thank you enough for what you are doing to me!" Tenten sat up and gave him a quick kiss, the first time in many months.

* * *

_At sixteen you departed,  
You went into far Ku-to-en, by the river of swirling eddies,  
And you have been gone five months.  
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.  
You dragged your feet when you went out.  
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,  
Too deep to clear them away!  
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.  
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August  
Over the grass in the West garden --  
They hurt me.  
I grow older.  
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river,  
Please let me know beforehand,  
And I will come out to meet you  
As far as Cho-fo-Sa._

"NEJI!!! GUESS WHAT!?" Tenten was in love with him actually if she had some more time for her love developing she would actually consider marry him. Neji has been more open to Tenten.

"Hn?" well sorta open? But Tenten knew what he meant.

"Oh nothing I was bored" Tenten was being silly Neji has been spoiling her a lot lately. Neji just gave her his oh so common smirk.

"Tenten I have to tell you something" Neji was being serious, like always.

"Of course you have something to say Neji! Why else will you talk me? Usually you would have to tell me something if you are talking to me" Neji equal serious, Tenten equals still silly. Neji was still being serious and he was giving her _the look_. "Okay what is it Neji?"

"I have to work you know that Tenten…..do you?" Neji was giving her a stern look. And then she was being serious also.

"I know Neji" she gave a long sigh they had one full year to be in love with each other without nothing bad happening like now. Neji could tell that Tenten was bummed out. It would be about a few days until Neji had to work and they knew that. "Neji…."

Neji could hear the sadness in her voice, "hn?" He stared into her eyes deeply.

"Neji, I love you"

"I love you too Tenten." Tenten gave him a big bear hug.

ON NEJI'S DEPARTER DATE:

"NEJI! I LOVE YOU! DON'T GO OFF WITH OTHER WOMEN!!! PLEASE BE SAFE!" Tenten was running at the speed of Neji's boat missing him more and more each second. Neji did not want to leave either. I mean who would if your wife hated everything for the first year of their marriage, and then start to love you again, and then you have to leave to go to work normally half the year buying and selling items up and down the rivers?

"Tenten I promise that nothing bad is going to happen and that I wont go seeing other women. You know my interests in them after all these time we known each other." Tenten smiled at him and wish that they..-no she was more accepting in her fate. That's why Neji was so calm about everything because it was his 'Fate' that happened.

Everyday she knew it wasn't necessary for her to wait by the very place they last kissed before he had to work and she knew that she won't see him in the next six months, but everyday she is there crying. (the thing with the monkey. . .well they don't say that the people cry but instead the animal make the sorrow for that person) She knew that she should be stronger for the both of them and she will. But everyday without him is like a piece of her life is missing and never coming back. She does not want the both of them to grow old without each other. _"Neji if you are near place send someone to tell me so that I can meet you on the way. I will go wherever you are no matter how far."_

I hope you enjoy it. I really like that poem. well i haven't wrote anything on ff in along time so i'm still alittle stiffy if you are into humor then you should read my first story. but i want the ups and down of this story. i know i probably have alot of grammer errors TELL ME ALL! (but kindly if you please) and i call this my "Make it or Break it I" as in if this is good then i will make more (whenever) and if it's bad then i have one more time to make it and that will tell me if i should read or write. . . . even though i love reading it and i still do i won't stop readin ffs. . . . .nvm just R&R and thank you for your time and comment!


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